Generally, security systems have been sold through authorized dealers requiring a large amount of sales resources including sales people arranging to visit and visiting a location where a security system is to be installed. According to this marketing method, the sales force expends a substantial amount of time setting up appointments with customers and traveling to a customer location. The sales force also has to possess knowledge and skill necessary to determine the relevant attributes of the customer location, and spend time determining an appropriate security system to offer the customer. Accordingly, the number of customers that a sales person can service in a given amount of time is severely limited. Further, since the selling of security systems requires on-site evaluation and specialized skills, sale of security systems through a retailer in the consumer electronics market is not feasible.
Further to this method of marketing security systems, the systems are sold and marketed directly through a security service provider (SSP) or authorized representative. The dealer, which may be the SSP, an installer, or third party facilitator, attempts to sell the customer a security services contract that includes monitoring services, fees for which are often used to subsidize the security system, installation, and/or sales representation. After the sale, the installer, which may be an internal installer of the SSP or an independent service provider, may attempt to sell the customer additional security system components.
Previous attempts to market security systems in a retail environment have failed because they have required the customer to act in the capacity of the dealer in many respects. Accordingly, the customer has been forced to identify and purchase the appropriate security system components and either install them or locate and engage a professional installer to do so. Further accordingly, the customer has been required to locate a SSP to provide monitoring services and contract with them directly. Therefore, there remains a need for a system and method of marketing security systems in a retail environment that overcomes the obstacles to such marketing that have thwarted previous attempts. The present invention provides a system and method that provides a solution.